Max Strus has memorable third quarter as Cavs hold off Raptors

CLEVELAND — Cavaliers swingman Max Strus didn't score before or after the third quarter. But that third quarter was one he'll never forget. Strus scored all 20 of his points in the third, as the Cavs held off the Toronto Raptors 105-102 on Sunday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Point guard Darius Garland, questionable for the game with a strained neck, led all scorers with 24 points and eight assists. "I knew I was going to play all along," he said. In the Los Angeles game Saturday, he got knocked down and banged his head on the knee of a Lakers player. Garland was held out in the second half and it was iffy whether he'd face Toronto. "With the ball in his hands, everyone is an option," Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "He does things so unselfishly. It was great to see him get going." Backup big man Tristan Thompson managed just eight minutes but was a huge factor in the Cavs (9-8) snapping their two-game losing streak. He finished with four points, four rebounds and four assists. "That dude impacts winning," Bickerstaff said. He described Thompson's play as "gritty, tough and nasty." "He makes a difference in winning," the Cavs coach said. "I couldn't be (happier) for him." In the first half, Strus — Cleveland's most important acquisition in the offseason — was held scoreless on 0-of-3 from the field. The third quarter was one for the record books, as he buried eight of 10 shots, including all four attempts from the 3-point line. "I got a couple of layups early on," Strus said. "I had a couple go through and my teammates kept finding me in transition. At that point, it felt like everything was going (in)." The Cavs outscored Toronto 32-20 in the third quarter and led 74-72 entering the fourth. They never relinquished the lead in the final quarter but there were some tense moments. The Raptors had a chance to tie the game in the waning seconds but guard Gary Trent Jr. stepped out of bounds with 1.8 seconds left. Garland's layup with 20 seconds to play proved to be the winning basket. The 6-foot-5 Strus added 11 rebounds, five assists and one block in 37 minutes. "Max brings excitement to our group," Garland said. "(The third quarter) was cool to see." The Raptors (8-9), who prevailed over Cleveland in three of four games last season, used a staggering 15-0 run late in the first half to take a 52-42 lead at halftime. The Cavs also received 12 points, a game-high 14 rebounds and two blocks from power forward Evan Mobley and 18 points, four rebounds and two blocks from center Jarrett Allen. Leading scorer Donovan Mitchell continued to struggle with his shooting. He was 4-of-17 from the field, 0-of-5 from behind the arc, for a season-low 10 points. It was the first game he scored fewer than 21 points. In his last two games after missing the previous four with a pulled hamstring, he's shot just 8-of-35 from the field (.229) and 2-of-11 from the 3-point line (.181). "Donovan knows we have the ultimate belief in him," Bickerstaff said. "With the law of averages, we know in one of the next few games there will be an explosion. "He didn't put his head down. His shots will come." Evan's goal Bickerstaff said Mobley wants to be great. "He doesn't want to be just another tall guy walking around," he said. "It's (amazing) the work that he puts in." 3-second violations The Cavs continue to celebrate 3-second violations against their defense. "We told them, 'We don't care how many defensive three seconds you get,'" Bickerstaff said. "We want to lead the league." He said the basis of their defense is to protect the paint. "That's part of our identity," Bickerstaff said. Injury list The Cavs have yet to be completely healthy this season. They were missing forward Dean Wade (ankle) for the Toronto game, as well as guards Ty Jerome (ankle) and Ricky Rubio (personal). Two others, Amoni Bates and Isaiah Mobley, were on G League assignments. "We've not had the group together to see who we are," Bickerstaff said. "We don't know exactly what we have." Swingman Isaac Okoro returned on Saturday after a nine-game absence with a knee injury. "When you're chasing guys around and being physical, you can't simulate that (in practice)," Bickerstaff said. He said Okoro woke up Sunday and was feeling fine after playing 19 minutes against the Lakers. Mounting miscues Garland committed five turnovers Sunday, something he said was "carelessness on my part." "I've got to quit passing it to the other team." Contact Bob Finnan at (440) 329-7135 or rfinnan30@gmail.com. Follow him @BobCavsinsider on X.